1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a support system used to attach a device transversely to a trunking body, between two longitudinal walls of the latter, whether these are a lateral flange of the trunking body or an internal partition that it may incorporate in order to subdivide its interior volume into two or more compartments, and is more particularly, although not necessarily exclusively, directed to the situation in which the device is an electrical device such as a socket outlet, for example.
2. Description of the Prior Art
More particularly still, the present invention concerns support systems of this kind that include two crossmembers each having engagement means adapted to be engaged with a longitudinal wall of the trunking body, for example with a lip that the longitudinal walls usually have facing towards each other along their free edge for clipping on a cover, and each of which crossmembers is provided with fixing means for locally fastening the device to be fixed, this fastening being effected by means of a screw, for example.
It is advantageously possible to adapt the support system to any distance between fixing centers parallel to the length of the trunking body, and therefore parallel to the length of the cover, by moving the crossmembers apart.
In some existing embodiments it is further possible, at least to some degree, to adapt the length of the crossmembers to suit the distance in the widthwise direction between the two longitudinal walls concerned of the trunking body and therefore to suit the width of the cover.
In these existing embodiments, however, each of the crossmembers comprises for this purpose at least three parts, namely a central part that includes the fixing means and which has one or more break-off portions at each end, and end parts that incorporate the engagement means required for engagement of the system with the longitudinal walls concerned of the trunking body to be equipped, and which are adapted to fit over the ends of the central part in a nesting arrangement, like a ferrule.
To adapt the width as required, it is therefore sufficient to remove one or more of the break-off portions of the central part.
This system nevertheless has various drawbacks, essentially relating to the inevitable interdependence of the adaptation to suit the width of the cover and the final position of the fixing means.
If, for example, and as is usually the case, the device to be fixed on must be centered, i.e. if the fixing means must be on the mid-line of the cover, it is necessary, for obvious reasons of symmetry, to remove the same number of break-off portions from each end of the central part of the crossmembers, and consequently to operate on both ends of the latter.
Moreover, the adjustment of the position of the fixing means in the widthwise direction of the cover has always to be carried out step by step, because of the length of the break-off portions of the central part of the crossmembers.
A general object of the present invention is an arrangement avoiding these drawbacks and conferring other advantages.